Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor drew the United States into World War II and triggered a cascade of war declarations that reshaped the global conflict.
Key Facts
- Attack date
- December 7, 1941, 7:48 a.m. Hawaiian time
- Aircraft deployed
- 353 fighters, bombers, and torpedo bombers
- U.S. battleships sunk
- 4 (of 8 present)
- Americans killed
- 2403 people
- Americans wounded
- 1178 people
- U.S. aircraft destroyed
- 180+ aircraft
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Months of failed diplomatic negotiations over Japan's expansionism in Asia and the Pacific preceded the attack. Japan sought an end to U.S. sanctions, cessation of American aid to China, and access to Dutch East Indies resources. The U.S. Hull note, demanding Japanese withdrawal from China and French Indochina, made compromise appear impossible. Admiral Yamamoto planned a pre-emptive strike to neutralize the Pacific Fleet and enable Japanese territorial expansion in Southeast Asia.
On December 7, 1941, 353 Japanese aircraft launched in two waves from six carriers struck the U.S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, beginning at 7:48 a.m. The attack, commanded by Admiral Chūichi Nagumo, damaged all eight U.S. battleships present, sinking four, destroyed over 180 aircraft, killed 2,403 Americans, and wounded 1,178. Japan lost 29 aircraft, five midget submarines, and 130 men.
The attack prompted the United States to declare war on Japan on December 8, 1941, ending American neutrality in World War II. Britain similarly declared war on Japan. Germany and Italy then declared war on the U.S. on December 11, bringing America fully into the global conflict on both the Pacific and European fronts. President Roosevelt called December 7 'a date which will live in infamy,' and the attack remains the deadliest foreign strike on U.S. soil until September 11, 2001.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Side B
1 belligerent
Isoroku Yamamoto, Chūichi Nagumo.